Unbelievable RV Buyer Behavior Exposed

Unknown Speaker (0:00): Hello, everybody. This is episode 602 of the RV podcast.

Unknown Speaker (0:05): And this week on the podcast.

Speaker 2 (0:07): We had a lady one time who was coming in to look at some RVs. She stole a part off of the RV to go put it into hers that she was wanting to trade in and we caught her on camera stealing a vent like a a side vent thing from her from our Winnebago van, took it and and put it on hers and the whole thing is on camera. So I very politely went to her and I said, ma'am, I said, I think you were mistaken by which van was yours and all that. I said, I think that vents ours. She said, no, no, it's not.

Unknown Speaker (0:37): I said, well, and I pulled my phone and said, here's the cam, the video, like, you took it off of ours and she was so embarrassed.

Unknown Speaker (0:43): She stole it.

Unknown Speaker (0:44): If you've ever wondered what RV dealers really deal with behind the scenes, this week, we sit down with our friend Nick Schmidt of Sunshine State RVs and hear some of the wildest, funniest, and most unbelievable stories about crazy RV buyers in this episode's conversation of the week.

Speaker 1 (1:02): Plus, we'll share a travel trip about a peaceful, no rush road trip where history surrounds you every mile, and it feels like stepping back in time. And we'll answer a question about how to stay cool and keep your air conditioner from tripping your RV breakers. This episode is being released on 04/22/2026.

Unknown Speaker (1:22): Welcome to the RV podcast. I'm Mike Wendland, and this is my cohost and my lifelong traveling companion and my bride, Jennifer. Hello, my dear.

Speaker 1 (1:31): Hello, my Michael. And this is the RV podcast stories from the road edition. You can find complete show notes for this episode at rvpodcast.com.

Nick Schmidt (1:41): And remember, we release two episodes every week. This edition, Stories from the Road, focuses on the RV lifestyle, interviews, people, places, experiences, and then every Monday, the RV news edition covering the biggest stories of the week that impact your travels. And as this episode drops, we're in Saint Augustine, Florida for our spring rally with members of the RV lifestyle community. And I have to say this is one of those places that just feels perfect for a gathering like this.

Speaker 1 (2:11): It really is. Saint Augustine has so much to explore. The history, the fort, the waterfront, the old streets. Yes. Even the fountain of youth.

Speaker 1 (2:20): We've been out touring during the day.

Unknown Speaker (2:23): And, honestly, some of the best moments, though, happened back at the campground. We're staying at the beautiful Saint Augustine RV Resort, and when we're not out exploring,

Speaker 1 (2:33): we're all just hanging out. We've had meals together, evenings by the pool with live music, campfires at night.

Unknown Speaker (2:40): And one of my favorite parts, is walking through and touring each other's rigs.

Unknown Speaker (2:45): Everybody loves that. You always pick up a new idea, a new gadget, or a better way to do something.

Unknown Speaker (2:51): And there's just a real sense of connection that comes from that. These aren't just people online anymore. They're friends.

Speaker 1 (2:59): That's what makes these rallies so special.

Unknown Speaker (3:02): We do three of these, the big rallies, in person camping rallies like this every year. And then there are all the mini meetups that happen all over the country naturally, plus just a lot of ways to connect online as well.

Speaker 1 (3:15): Back in our private ad free online community, we're connecting all the time.

Nick Schmidt (3:20): We do twice weekly live streams, conversations, questions, shared experiences. It really is social media the way it should be.

Unknown Speaker (3:28): If you've been looking for a place to connect with other RVers, learn, share, and just feel part of something,

Unknown Speaker (3:35): come check out the RV lifestyle community.

Speaker 1 (3:38): We'll put a link in the description below. Again, rvcommunity.com is where you can learn more about it.

Unknown Speaker (3:45): Alright. Now real quick before we get to the conversation of the week, we wanna remind you that the busy season is up now for RVers, which means this is a good time to consider your RV protection options.

Speaker 1 (3:57): If you're like us and spending a lot of time on the road in your RV, you know that unexpected breakdowns and component failures can happen at any time. And with increasing repair costs and high gas prices, just one surprise breakdown can really put a dent in your travel budget.

Unknown Speaker (4:13): And that's why we recommend looking into wholesale warranties. Their plans cover major repairs, and that potentially saves you thousands on parts and labor costs. Plus, you can take your rig to any licensed repair shop in The US or Canada, even mobile mechanics, so you're covered no matter where you go next. So before you head out on your first big trip of the summer, just take a few minutes to go over your coverage options. With wholesale warranties, you'll work with a knowledgeable specialist who will tailor your plan to your RV lifestyle preferences.

Unknown Speaker (4:46): Preferences.

Speaker 1 (4:46): You can get a free no pressure quote at wholesalewarranties.com/rvlifestyle. You can find our link in the description. Again, wholesalewarranties.comrvlifestyle.

Unknown Speaker (4:58): Alright. Our conversation this week comes from a place we've spent a lot of time lately over in Gainesville, Florida at Sunshine State RVs where we just wrapped up about a week testing a whole bunch of class b and b plus RVs for an upcoming video series we'll be doing on our YouTube channel.

Unknown Speaker (5:15): And while we were there, we got to hang out with our longtime friend, Nick Schmidt.

Unknown Speaker (5:19): Nick is one of the good guys. He's a straight shooter. He knows all the RV business inside and out. He's seen just about everything over the years.

Unknown Speaker (5:28): We mean everything.

Unknown Speaker (5:29): Yep. Because as we were sitting around talking with him last week, he started sharing some stories about customers that he's dealt with over the years. And let's just say not all of them were typical.

Unknown Speaker (5:41): After about the second or third story, Mike and I looked at each other and said, okay. This is a podcast.

Unknown Speaker (5:47): So we asked Nick to sit down with us and talk about what we're calling

Unknown Speaker (5:52): Crazy RV buyers.

Unknown Speaker (5:53): Now these are funny stories, but they're also real. And if you've ever bought an RV or thinking about it, maybe you'll recognize some of these traits in you.

Speaker 1 (6:02): We think you'll have as much fun listening to this conversation as we did having it.

Unknown Speaker (6:07): So here it is. Our conversation of the week, Nick Schmidt from Sunshine State RVs, all about crazy RV buyers.

Speaker 3 (6:14): So, Nick, this is the first time we've had a sit down like this just to talk really informally about your experience as an RV dealer and what we call crazy RV buyers.

Unknown Speaker (6:26): Yes.

Unknown Speaker (6:27): I hope he doesn't include us.

Unknown Speaker (6:28): Oh, you never know. He might.

Unknown Speaker (6:31): Never know.

Speaker 3 (6:31): Yeah. Tell everybody, Sunshine, for the that don't know you, Nick is owns and found Sunshine State RVs.

Unknown Speaker (6:40): Yep. Over twenty five years ago.

Unknown Speaker (6:41): Yeah. So you have sold Thousands. Thousands of RVs? Thousands of RVs. Okay.

Speaker 3 (6:47): Are there do you have have you ever said that there's four different types or two different types or three different types of RV buyers?

Speaker 2 (6:56): Yeah. You know what's funny? We we had a small car dealership before. And coming from the car dealership, if someone drove more than thirty minutes to come to the dealership to to look at a car, there's a very good chance they're buying because they're not wasting their time coming to look and look and look and look and look. But I I found out very quickly that RV buyers are a little different than that because retired people have nothing but time.

Speaker 2 (7:19): And so I'll never forget the first time a guy calls me. This is probably in 2008. Calls me and says, hey. I'm driving down from Destin to look at this RV, and I'm already counting the money. Right?

Speaker 2 (7:30): This this deal's already done. This guy's already bought it, clean it, get it ready for him. Drives five hours here, shows up. I meet him. I greet him.

Unknown Speaker (7:39): I show him the RV. He's like, okay. Let me think about it. I'm like, think about it? Yeah.

Speaker 2 (7:43): He's like, yeah. I I'm I'm I said, you just drove five hours to think about it? He's like, Nick, I'm retired. I have nothing better to do but to drive and do this all day. I've been looking for five years for an RV.

Unknown Speaker (7:53): I'm like, what in the world just happened?

Unknown Speaker (7:55): Five years.

Speaker 2 (7:57): And so that's a lot of what we see. There's the people that look forever and never end up doing it. And then there's there's some very impulsive people out there, especially when it comes to RVs. They they walk in, they they point, and then they sign, and then they're driving down the road an hour later.

Speaker 3 (8:14): So we have always heard we have a lot of RVers who have all sorts of stuff talk about their bad dealer experiences. But we never hear from dealers to talk about their bad customer experiences. We'll come back to some very practical advice that Nick can give it if if you're shopping. And we should also point out that we're friends. We have been friends for all fifteen years Yeah.

Speaker 3 (8:38): We have been doing this. We met Nick, I think, week week one almost.

Unknown Speaker (8:43): Probably when you guys had your road truck.

Speaker 3 (8:45): And and it's been, you know, just a a joy for us. So Nick is a friend. He's not a he's not a advertiser. He's not a client, anything like that. And he's always my go to guy when I have a really question about, you know, RVs and companies and and share a lot of industry gossip.

Unknown Speaker (9:02): I'm working on that.

Unknown Speaker (9:03): I mean, I'm just trying to slide you some stuff under the table.

Unknown Speaker (9:05): I'm just

Unknown Speaker (9:06): trying to slide you some stuff.

Unknown Speaker (9:07): We're keep our sources That's true.

Unknown Speaker (9:09): That's That's

Speaker 3 (9:09): true. Okay. But enough of that. I wanna hear about crazy RV buyers.

Unknown Speaker (9:15): Yes.

Speaker 3 (9:15): And let's see if you, listener or viewer, if you fit.

Unknown Speaker (9:19): Or maybe they might be listening to the people I'm talking about. So I will change the names for the sake of their identities. Alright. Alright. So the one of the first ones that comes to mind is the guy that comes in, and he buys an RV.

Speaker 2 (9:30): And buys an RV, he says, hey. I'm taking off from here. Have it all ready, and I'm going on a trip. I'm not going home. I'm going straight on a trip straight from here.

Speaker 2 (9:37): I'm like, oh, that's interesting. So he gets in it. I mean, real quick. He's he's just kind of in a hurry, gets in it, takes off, and goes, and and I don't hear from him. Don't hear from him again.

Speaker 2 (9:47): I'm thinking he's happy as can be. Everything's good. And then about six, eight months later, maybe even a year, somewhere in that ballpark, don't know if it was the exact time, he pulls in, and he walks in. I'm like, hey, Bill. How are you?

Unknown Speaker (10:00): He's like, I'm done. I said, done with what? He goes, I I checked everything off my bucket list. I'm done with the RV. It's slammed full of fuel.

Speaker 2 (10:08): It's slammed full of stuff. The fridge is even full. I knocked. I did everything I wanted to do in the RV. Here it is.

Unknown Speaker (10:14): Write me a check. It's all yours. I'm like, what? He's like, I'm done. That's all I wanted.

Speaker 2 (10:19): I wanted I wanted to fulfill my last bucket list. Now I'm done, and I can check that off the list.

Unknown Speaker (10:25): I'm gonna go buy a boat.

Unknown Speaker (10:26): I'm gonna go buy buy a boat and do the same thing. I thought that was pretty nuts.

Unknown Speaker (10:30): That is pretty nuts. Wow. Yeah. So that's one of the impulsive ones.

Unknown Speaker (10:35): That is that that is one of the sound sound like he had a plan, but he was impulsively. He was ready to go, ready to roll, and yeah.

Unknown Speaker (10:42): That was Sound like anybody you know?

Unknown Speaker (10:45): I heard you bought a house with just walking on the back deck.

Unknown Speaker (10:48): Oh. About ten minutes.

Unknown Speaker (10:49): In about ten minutes, you bought a house. Yeah. Yep. Interesting.

Unknown Speaker (10:52): And I tend to do that with RVs too. Fortunately, you kinda hold me down a

Unknown Speaker (10:56): little bit. Do. You call me. I want this. I'm like, hold on, Mike.

Unknown Speaker (10:58): Hold on.

Unknown Speaker (10:58): Let's let's talk through this.

Unknown Speaker (11:00): Yeah. Okay. So Where was he

Unknown Speaker (11:03): when we bought our one that lasted, what, four weeks?

Unknown Speaker (11:05): Oh, yeah. Oh, okay. Yeah. Where were you you were actually gone because I was gonna I I needed some feedback on it. We bought one that lasted four weeks last week.

Unknown Speaker (11:13): I remember that.

Unknown Speaker (11:13): I do remember that. Enough about us. It's a crazy RV buyer. What are some of the other ones?

Speaker 2 (11:19): So I you know, people and and their animals. So dogs are are very common. Right?

Unknown Speaker (11:24): 70% of

Unknown Speaker (11:25): all them. 70%. That's very common.

Unknown Speaker (11:27): Very common. Reasons they buy an RV?

Unknown Speaker (11:29): Owls. A what?

Unknown Speaker (11:30): Owl. Owl.

Unknown Speaker (11:31): Owl. O w l.

Unknown Speaker (11:32): An owl?

Unknown Speaker (11:33): Owls. Multiple.

Unknown Speaker (11:35): Multiple. Multiple owls. More than pets.

Speaker 2 (11:37): Lizards, snakes, chinchillas. No. Chinchillas. Yes. Anything you can I mean, turtles?

Speaker 2 (11:50): Anything you can imagine. But not only that, Mike, they bring them to the dealership with them, and they're there. And and then they bring them in every RV to see which one. The I remember the owl guy had the thing, had two or three owls in there. And I'm just like, what in the world is this?

Unknown Speaker (12:06): Brings him in the RVs and wants to see if the owls like it, and I it's put a cover over them, uncovered them, covered them. Yeah.

Unknown Speaker (12:13): How do you know if

Unknown Speaker (12:13): an owl likes an RV? That was my exact question. How do you and I asked them that, and they kinda look smiled. They said, oh, you'll know.

Unknown Speaker (12:21): All they can say is, what a hoot.

Unknown Speaker (12:24): Yes. That was entertaining.

Unknown Speaker (12:27): Alright. Weird pets.

Speaker 2 (12:28): Yes. Weird pets is a big one.

Speaker 3 (12:30): Now here's what I hear from other dealers and sales guys have talked. The over researchers Oh. You mentioned that a little bit. They just keep going. Talk about those kind of things.

Speaker 2 (12:42): Yeah. So they they can come in and do a sales training with my team. I mean, we are class b specialists. Right? That's all we do.

Unknown Speaker (12:48): We know everything about them, we think, until that guy comes in. And he knows everything about everything or at least he thinks he does.

Speaker 3 (12:54): We call them armchair engineers. They've googled or YouTubed, and they think they know it all.

Speaker 2 (13:00): Well, I do that with football. I mean, I I coach the team for kinda from my living room. But, yeah, they they're it's great because they truly know everything, but it's tough because they think they know more than they really do a lot of times practically. And so there is a lot of especially in the class b. You know, class b catches the bad rap because a lot of them are known in the industry as the over researchers, the engineers, the crazy ones.

Unknown Speaker (13:25): Why why do you think that is?

Unknown Speaker (13:26): I don't know. Because there's so much in such a small area that people are I don't know. It just takes because it takes a special person to want a van. I mean

Speaker 3 (13:33): It seems like you you need to be a little more independent

Unknown Speaker (13:37): Yeah.

Speaker 3 (13:38): For a class b.

Speaker 2 (13:39): Yeah. Because it's all built in, and then everywhere you go, you don't need campgrounds as much. So, yeah, there's a lot of over researchers, and then they just they know too much. And and my favorite question to them, Mike, is when they ask me some crazy question I don't know the answer to. And and they're getting down, and they've and they've and they finalized.

Speaker 2 (13:57): Like, I really want this one. Like, great. Like, well, hold on. What what is the gear ratio on the rear left tire when it's snowing in all wheel drive? I'm like, I don't know.

Unknown Speaker (14:07): But if I did know, would that help you buy it or not buy it? Like, are you thinking about changing your mind because the gear ratio on the left rear tire in the snow and

Unknown Speaker (14:14): all wheel drive? Written down questions.

Unknown Speaker (14:16): And then and then I know. It's kind of a big deal. I'm like, well, if it's a big deal to you, it's a big deal to me. Let's find out together. And but there I mean, just the the the the crazy questions.

Speaker 2 (14:27): You know, as we're talking, I thought of of something. There was a lady who bought an RV. She was a 104 years old. I promise. 104 years old.

Speaker 2 (14:37): And she had her child, her daughter with her, who was late eighties and her daughter's husband who was in his late eighties. So they're they come into the dealership and to her credit, I got a picture of her. I'll have to find it and send it to you. She did not look like she was a 104. She looked old, but not a 104.

Speaker 2 (14:57): And so I'm I'm talking to her, and she bought it. In her name, she bought it. She signed the paperwork, but she was not gonna drive it. So there it was an old road track. So remember they used to have that bed in the front when you could put a mattress on the bed?

Speaker 2 (15:10): So the husband slept on the bed in the front, and the 104 year old slept in the bed and and the bed and the Size. And the daughter. So they shared a bed in the back, but the three of them were gonna travel everywhere in in the RV. 104 years old.

Unknown Speaker (15:23): Oh my goodness.

Unknown Speaker (15:24): Yes. I I thought that was pretty nuts.

Speaker 3 (15:27): Worst customer ever.

Unknown Speaker (15:29): That's tough. You know, people people that are rude are obviously the worst. Yeah. You know?

Speaker 3 (15:36): Is there an entitlement that some of them feel when

Speaker 2 (15:39): Yeah. Because they're spending a large amount of money, sometimes people people like to remind you how much they spend. And, obviously, I can't remind them back that I have 200 RVs on our lot, and they're all that price. And I sell I we sold four today that were between a 150 and 200,000 each. I can't tell them that because that would be insulting, but they wanna remind me how much they spent all the time, and I get it.

Speaker 2 (16:00): I get it. People get frustrated, and they wanna kind of assert that. I try to diffuse that with a big smile, and I'll do anything to help. But, yeah, people people can get very entitled. Remember I told you yesterday, some lady came

Unknown Speaker (16:14): Yeah.

Unknown Speaker (16:14): And talking money. She was like, try to be a hard negotiator. You know? Like, I was

Speaker 3 (16:20): She probably heard our voice her advice someplace. Like No.

Unknown Speaker (16:23): People listen to it. It's good. But I I very politely, when they sit at my desk, because sometimes I'm the one that does the negotiating. Now we have Canada Mike, your friend

Unknown Speaker (16:31): Yeah.

Unknown Speaker (16:31): Who who does Williams. Mike Williams. But so so she sat at my desk, and she looked at me, and she said, nobody's gonna buy this RV. I said, really? And I and at that point, I was a little worn down.

Speaker 2 (16:42): It's just like I'm I'm I'm over this conversation. Right? No one's gonna buy this RV. I said, why not? Just because it's a $150,000, and nobody has that much cash right now.

Speaker 2 (16:50): I'm like, really? She's and interest rates are so high, no one's gonna finance it. So no no bank no one's gonna get financing. I said, well, ma'am, I'm gonna I'm gonna pickle them because those are the only two ways people buy RVs. So if no one's gonna pay cash and no one's gonna finance it, I might as well close-up shop.

Unknown Speaker (17:05): But what am I ever gonna do with my life? And she's just like, well, I'm the only one that has cash to buy it, so I'll offer you a 100,000 for it. I'm like, oh. I said, ma'am, unfortunately, that's not the way this works. I said, let's come to a deal together.

Speaker 2 (17:18): You know? But just just like the the degrading negotiator, that Yeah.

Unknown Speaker (17:23): That That type of person is that type of person. Yes. Period.

Unknown Speaker (17:27): They call them Karens, I think.

Unknown Speaker (17:28): We don't need them in campgrounds.

Unknown Speaker (17:29): So No. Don't sell I won't sell

Speaker 3 (17:32): them. What about the what about the customers who are less than honest with you?

Speaker 2 (17:38): Funny story. So we had a lady one time who was coming in to look at some RVs. She stole a part off of the RV to go put it into hers that she was wanting to trade in, and we caught her on camera stealing a vent, like a like a side vent thing from her from our win Winnebago van, took it and and put it on hers, and the whole thing is on camera. One of the employees is like, I think she just took that. I'm like, no way.

Speaker 2 (18:03): And I went and looked, and the RRV was missing the side thing. I looked on the camera, so I very politely went to her. I said, ma'am, I said, I think you are mistaken by which van was yours and all that. I said, I think that vent's ours. She goes, no.

Unknown Speaker (18:17): No. It's not. I said, well and I pulled my phone. I said, here's the cam the video. Like, you took it off of ours, and she was so embarrassed.

Unknown Speaker (18:24): She stole it.

Speaker 3 (18:25): Yeah. Oh my goodness. What about you mentioned one case we talked about trade ins. You know, know, people rightly have tried to come up with a strategy for dealing, and I've always said to them, get the price. Yep.

Unknown Speaker (18:39): First of all, get a cash price.

Unknown Speaker (18:41): Yeah.

Unknown Speaker (18:41): You know?

Unknown Speaker (18:42): Yep. A good price.

Speaker 3 (18:43): And, you know, we know that dealers make money with financing, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Unknown Speaker (18:47): We do.

Speaker 3 (18:48): But we all say, know what you what you could finance it for. But when it comes to trade ins, there's all sorts of weird expectations people have. How does that surface? Have you seen things examples of that?

Unknown Speaker (19:01): Yeah. So so sometimes people try not to tell you about the trade until the very end, and they'll even go as far as lying about it. No. I don't have a trade. Don't have a trade.

Speaker 2 (19:08): And then at the end, well, I do have a trade. Well, sir, I asked you three times if you had a trade, and you told me no. But now you're trying to play this game with me that isn't gonna work. You know? And and and it's just the really, there should be two because you should be able to potentially sell it on

Unknown Speaker (19:21): your

Speaker 2 (19:21): own or trade it in. And you and you have that option, and so you should present that to the dealer that these are my two prices I want. And you kinda work through cash, finance, trade, and kinda get all get get get everything. But people are very sneaky. They try to be very sneaky about it.

Speaker 2 (19:35): Yeah. Try to be very sneaky. But one, we had a guy wanting to sell us one. I think I told you the story the other day. He I mean, he was 93 years old.

Speaker 2 (19:43): 93. Came in with a 40 foot class a, pulls into the dealership, and every corner was dented. Mirrors were busted off of it. This guy should have stopped driving ten years ago. And more power to him.

Speaker 2 (19:55): He had the RV pulled in. One eye had a patch over it, and one eye was, like, bloodshot with tears coming out. I'm like, this guy is gonna kill somebody. And he's like, son, I am too old to be driving this. At least he he had the the self awareness at that point, and so he's like, I need this gone today, right now.

Speaker 2 (20:12): And then and so we were able to help him out, but I was just like, that guy, he was he was done. He was ready to go. How many times has a buyer come back?

Unknown Speaker (20:24): I mean, how many times do they come back before they buy? Is there an average?

Unknown Speaker (20:28): Oh, before they buy. I think you meant after they buy, they keep coming back to buy more and more and more.

Unknown Speaker (20:31): That could be two ways to answer.

Unknown Speaker (20:34): Yeah. You

Unknown Speaker (20:34): can answer it both ways.

Speaker 3 (20:36): Yeah. Yeah. How about the ones who are are shopping, and they just keep coming back and back and back and back?

Unknown Speaker (20:40): Yeah. The Tire kickers. Yeah. So so the shows are a great time for that. You see people at shows.

Speaker 2 (20:44): I see people at shows. We see the same people at every show, and and they and it's like a hobby. They they go to shows. They like shopping at the shows for years and years and and years. And It looks like a hobby.

Unknown Speaker (20:59): Kinda like us now. We're kinda in that mode.

Unknown Speaker (21:01): Yeah. Yeah. Well, we you know, he knows what we want. It's just it's so expensive. They are expensive.

Unknown Speaker (21:08): And I must appreciate that. But you understand how much money these things are. They're expensive. It really is. So how about some advice for people who are shopping?

Speaker 3 (21:17): What do they you know, obviously, there's some give and take in the dealers. That's part of negotiation.

Unknown Speaker (21:22): Yeah.

Speaker 3 (21:22): But what what what would you advise them when they're shopping?

Speaker 2 (21:26): They always say your second RV is the best RV because your first one is when you're working through the kinks and all that, and then you're like, well, I need to trade and now I know what I want type thing. So, really, you know, taking your time, figuring out, spending time in the RV, driving it, kinda getting getting an idea of how you're gonna use it, You know, write that down. How how are you gonna use it? How is this one gonna fit what you want? And then and then just, you know, figuring out the reputation of where you're going, the reputation of the brands that you're looking at, you know, how's how long is their warranty?

Speaker 2 (21:54): How are their Facebook groups, you know, go on the Facebook group and see is everyone complaining, or is everyone happy and showing adventures and kinda what they're doing? That's that's something I love about the Coachmen. Their Facebook group has eight or 10,000 people, and they're all just on there. And, obviously, there's some complaints, but people are on there just loving their RVs. You know?

Speaker 2 (22:12): So you're check out the reputation of the dealer, the reputation of the manufacturer, and then and then just just be upfront and get the dealer on your side. I've always found that a negotiation works better when two people working together to get something accomplished versus one trying to pull and the other pulling, and then one pulls and the other pulls. You know? It's like if you're trying to manipulate a deal to where you're the only one that win that wins and not the dealer, nobody wins. Because in in the future, you're gonna want something from that dealer, and he is not gonna be willing to help you out.

Speaker 3 (22:43): Do you we're sitting at your dealership. Let's just say and a couple comes in, and you see them wandering around the lot. What do the salesman say? How do they size them up? Do they say, oh, that's a that's a over researcher?

Speaker 3 (22:59): Come on. I know this goes out.

Speaker 2 (23:01): So our philosophy is we don't go out to them. We wait for them to come in the dealership because I want them to just kinda be have have their time and space. But once they come in, if they come in with a tape measure on their hip and a notepad in their hand, they are they are one of those. They're like, oh, jeez. This is gonna be three hours.

Unknown Speaker (23:19): So hide the tape measure. Hide the tape measure.

Unknown Speaker (23:22): She carries hers if it's hers.

Unknown Speaker (23:24): They're perfect. Just don't have it on your hip. If it's on your hip, everybody knows this is gonna be three hours.

Unknown Speaker (23:29): You take them, though. You take them.

Speaker 2 (23:31): If you bring your small children or your grandchildren, it's it is gonna be a little of a chaotic show. Yeah. The the the sizing up definitely happens. You know? It's it is human nature.

Speaker 3 (23:44): I remember once we bought an RV, and the one model we bought was a demo model at a show.

Unknown Speaker (23:51): Yeah.

Speaker 3 (23:52): And we couldn't get it until the show ended. So that Sunday afternoon, we were waiting and we're waiting, and all these people are coming in and looking at it, and they bring their kids in.

Unknown Speaker (24:01): Yes.

Unknown Speaker (24:01): And they're jumping up and down on file and going, get off the sofa.

Unknown Speaker (24:05): Get off of my sofa. Yes.

Speaker 3 (24:07): Holy cow. People are rude.

Unknown Speaker (24:08): They're Yeah. They don't care about anything. And then really don't.

Unknown Speaker (24:12): Then watch one guy actually use the bathroom on on an RV that was at a show.

Speaker 2 (24:18): We've had that happen. So we put a sign on every bathroom. We'll shoot, do not use this bathroom. And and it I it yeah.

Speaker 3 (24:24): And it's a more practical stuff. Should people have an idea what they can finance it for themselves from their credit union Yeah. Their own bank?

Speaker 2 (24:31): I would I would always say that. You know, typically, whenever that happens, they come to our dealership. I always say, okay. You have your interest rate. Let my bank give it a shot, and then let's see what we can which one's the best for you.

Speaker 2 (24:43): Because sometimes your bank can only do fifteen years, and our bank can do twenty years, and people like a smaller payment. Your bank can do 20% down and ours does 10% down or interest rate. So there's there's there's three parts of a finance deal. There's the term, how many years, the interest rate, and then the down payment. And so all three of those, the different ones are important to different people.

Unknown Speaker (25:04): And so your bank might be able to do two out of three, ours can do the other two out of three, and then you figure out what's best for you.

Speaker 3 (25:10): Tough question here. Yeah. Do you ever recommend somebody take a twenty year loan on an RV?

Speaker 2 (25:15): Well, recommend it. Yes. Do I recommend them not paying more every year? They're gonna be upside down pretty quickly if they pay the bare minimum. I tell them, take the twenty year loan.

Speaker 2 (25:26): It doesn't matter to me. You take a ten year loan or twenty year loan, but then pay it like a five year loan or a seven year loan or whatever your budget allows, pay more money. There's there's no drawback to paying more money every month. But every almost every loan is twenty years. Nobody ever does five, seven, or ten.

Unknown Speaker (25:43): Yep.

Unknown Speaker (25:43): Even though they're upside down and

Speaker 2 (25:46): Well, so what they do is they you know, twenty year loan, your payment's 1,000 a month, they might pay 2,000 a month. And so that way, you're you're staying with the depreciation by paying 24,000 a year, but you're only paying down 12,000 a year, 9,000 that's going towards interest.

Speaker 3 (26:00): Man, know know the situation.

Unknown Speaker (26:03): Yes.

Unknown Speaker (26:03): These things, they depreciate. They do.

Speaker 2 (26:05): They do. They do. They depreciate in money wise, but the joy that that that you get out of it is what you're paying for. You're they're

Unknown Speaker (26:12): not an investment.

Unknown Speaker (26:13): Gotta How much does it depreciate the when you drive it off the lot?

Unknown Speaker (26:17): 2020%?

Unknown Speaker (26:18): I

Unknown Speaker (26:20): would say that.

Unknown Speaker (26:20): Yeah. People Just like a car.

Speaker 2 (26:22): Just like a car, but it's bigger numbers. So it's harder to stomach. So it's a 150,000, 200,000. You know, that's that's a 30 to $40,000 hit versus a car that's $30,000. You're looking at 5 or $6.

Speaker 3 (26:34): Alright. Last question. You talk about crazy RVers. Who's your favorite customer? And don't say us, but who's your favorite customer?

Speaker 3 (26:42): You won't say us. Know. I know the customer. You gotta have one person that comes to mind that makes you smile on your face.

Speaker 2 (26:48): So so the people that truly care and the people that know that a deal is only good if it works for both parties. And so they want us to do well. They wanna do well. And those are the ones that you wanna take care of the best. That come in and say, hey.

Speaker 2 (26:59): I want a fair deal, and I realize that the dealership has to make money. And but I want a fair deal. Let's find the one that's gonna work best for all of us. And and and then we've built a relationship. We built a little trust, and then they said that we can find something kind of that that works together.

Speaker 2 (27:17): And I think that's that's the fairest way to do anything, let alone buy an RV or whatever.

Unknown Speaker (27:22): We have not bought an RV from Nick.

Unknown Speaker (27:24): We've come close.

Unknown Speaker (27:25): We've come

Speaker 3 (27:26): very close. Every time we do these reviews, we come up. Do not sell her to the Beyond. We shouldn't be giving up what we we got a whole series coming up in three weeks. We should tell them what we're doing.

Unknown Speaker (27:36): Oh, this is good.

Unknown Speaker (27:37): We do this every year.

Unknown Speaker (27:38): We Every year.

Unknown Speaker (27:39): And, Rick

Unknown Speaker (27:40): is so much fun.

Speaker 3 (27:41): Nick lets us borrow these RVs. We're at a campground. And, actually, this campground, by the way, when you do buy one from he puts people up here for two nights.

Unknown Speaker (27:51): Two nights.

Speaker 3 (27:51): Yep. So they can actually make sure it's right, and his dealership's only a couple of miles there. But, anyway, every year, we review a whole bunch of class b's and class c's. And this year, we're doing six of them, one b, one b plus or small c. And we're going to ask the question, does size really matter?

Speaker 3 (28:08): And it's really an interesting series. And the beyond is one of the ones we tested. Yep. And it it's year after year, it's one of our favorites. Yes.

Unknown Speaker (28:16): This year is awesome.

Unknown Speaker (28:17): Yeah. But but I think they made some of the changes that Jen recommended to her.

Speaker 3 (28:20): Jennifer, not let her talk talk me into buying one.

Unknown Speaker (28:25): Mike, can you give us a few minutes in the RV so me and her can talk?

Speaker 3 (28:28): Oh, yeah. Right. Alright. Nick Schmidt, great guy. Sunshine State RVs.

Speaker 3 (28:33): Look him up. Watch his videos. He is he's awesome. He does all

Speaker 2 (28:37): So it's been great. You ask about who the favorite you know, some of my favorite people are people that come in, they watch the videos, and they're like, Nick, I I just you know, I admire what you do, and they're super appreciate what we do, how we do it, why we do it, and they name all the part like like, they truly are bought into what we're doing and why we're doing it to help the community and all that. So that's that's probably some of my favorite people

Unknown Speaker (28:57): that are And you form a real relationship with people.

Unknown Speaker (29:00): Truly do. Truly do. And I sit with them. I have coffee with them. They, you know, they watch the videos.

Speaker 2 (29:04): I get to meet them for ten, fifteen minutes, thirty minutes, and, you know, it's great.

Unknown Speaker (29:08): McMeech, your business this year. He's got two kids getting married.

Unknown Speaker (29:11): Oh my gosh. Yes. Please.

Unknown Speaker (29:13): We just talked to somebody who their daughter's getting married in Italy.

Unknown Speaker (29:17): Oh,

Unknown Speaker (29:17): jeez. Mine's in mine's in Puerto Rico, so it's a little closer. Oh. We're starting a GoFundMe.

Unknown Speaker (29:22): Yeah. That's it. Alright, Nick. Thank you, man.

Unknown Speaker (29:25): Thank you guys so much. It is a pleasure to to be on your podcast and be a part of the what you guys are doing. You guys are truly making it you guys are truly making a difference in the RV community, so I appreciate that.

Speaker 3 (29:35): Nick has been a friend since we started, and he has encouraged us. Even we had, like, a thousand supporters, thousand followers, Nick was always right there. And and I know you've done that with some of the other content creators. Yeah. I love it.

Unknown Speaker (29:48): Yeah. Everyone's pushing the community. They're pushing the lifestyle.

Unknown Speaker (29:51): He's a content creator on his own. Go look at his videos. I'll I'll

Unknown Speaker (29:54): link to it.

Unknown Speaker (29:54): So I think that the last RV that we buy has gotta be from Nick, you know, when we decide this is it.

Unknown Speaker (29:59): It's the last time. Forever. It sounds like another podcast The

Unknown Speaker (30:02): last RV. Yeah. The last frontier.

Unknown Speaker (30:04): Forever because usually we change every two years.

Unknown Speaker (30:07): Yeah. Well or or shorter. You know? Alright. I gotta end this.

Speaker 3 (30:11): Back to the podcast. Thanks, Nick. Yes, sir.

Unknown Speaker (30:14): That was so much fun with Nick. He says he's gonna take notes Yeah. For the next time we wanna do this.

Unknown Speaker (30:19): Yeah. Yeah. And he says it's like, almost every week something like that happens. It says yeah. So he's gonna take notes, we'll have him back again.

Unknown Speaker (30:27): Are you one of those crazy RV buyers? Quick question. Are you getting a little worn out paying top dollar for crowded RV parks? We were too. And last year, we came across something that really changed the way we travel, rvovernights.com.

Nick Schmidt (30:41): One of our favorite stays was at a bison ranch in Indiana. Real bison right outside our RV.

Speaker 1 (30:47): The huge animals absolutely incredible to watch, and that's just one example. They have wineries, farms, museums, even a lavender field, the kind of places you would never find in a typical campground directory. What makes it so easy is their website. Just pull up the interactive map, see what is available along your route, and book here overnight.

Nick Schmidt (31:07): And that's it. There's no guessing, no digging around, not random parking lots, by the way. These are unique memorable experiences hosted by real people all across The US and Canada. And the best part is this whole thing is just $49 for an entire year.

Speaker 1 (31:23): Right now, they are also offering our listeners a special deal. You can get 40% off when you use a promo code RVL deal. After more than fifteen years on the road, we don't recommend something unless we truly use it ourselves. This is one we keep coming back to.

Unknown Speaker (31:39): Head to rvlifestyle.com/rvovernights and use that promo code RVL deal for 40% off. Alright. It's time now for a brand new feature on the Wednesday Stories from the Road edition. This is the second one in a row, and we got many more to come. We call it Jennifer's RV Know How in which Jennifer shares practical tips about RV living that she's learned after fifteen years of the RV lifestyle.

Unknown Speaker (32:05): So what do you got?

Speaker 1 (32:06): This is a tip on keeping the RV bathroom fresh. So if the RV bathroom odor frustrates you, I wanna share the routine I use that helps keep ours under control. The biggest mistake people make is not using enough water. In an RV, water is your friend. Unlike a home toilet, an RV toilet doesn't have a big tank that dumps a surge of water with every flush.

Speaker 1 (32:32): It relies on you to add enough water each time to carry waste all the way into the black tank and keep it moving once it gets there. Here's why water matters so much. Number one, water is what actually moves the waste. In a house, gravity and gallon gallons of water do the heavy lifting. In an RV, it's just a short drop into that black tank.

Speaker 1 (32:53): And if you don't use enough water, solids don't fully break down or spread out. They just pile up. Number two, to prevent the dreaded poop pyramid. Yes. It's exactly what it sounds like.

Speaker 1 (33:06): When there's not enough water, waste stacks directly under the toilet instead of dispersing across the tank. Over time, it hardens into a mound that can block the system and is a nightmare to remove. Number three, it helps break down solids and toilet paper. Water activates your tank treatments without enough moisture everything just sits there and gets harder. Number four, it keeps tank sensors working.

Speaker 1 (33:35): Even when used properly, sensors can be finicky. But low water makes it worse by allowing debris to stick to the tank walls, giving you false readings like full when you just dumped. Number five, it controls odor. A wet tank is a healthier tank. Dry waste equals stronger smells.

Speaker 1 (33:56): Plenty of water keeps things diluted and helps treatments do their job. Number six, it makes dumping easier and more complete. When your black tank has enough liquid, everything flows out when you pull the valves. Too little water and you leave behind sludge that builds up over time. A good rule of thumb, if you're wondering whether you used enough water, you probably didn't.

Speaker 1 (34:22): When it's time to dump, do not rush it and don't drain too early. I want enough volume in the tank to help move solids out. Then after the blank tank is emptied, run the gray tank so the hose gets a cleaner rinse. And after dumping, put at least a couple of gallons of water in the black tank. That way, the tank is not starting out dry.

Speaker 1 (34:45): Inside the RV, keep the bathroom dry and ventilated. A little wipe down after showers and good airflow makes a noticeable difference. The maxi fan should always be on when you shower To get rid of excessive moisture and odor, love to team up. A fresh RV bathroom is really about consistency, good water habits, smart dumping, and quick daily upkeeps go a long way. And that is Jennifer's RV know how.

Speaker 1 (35:16): Do you have any questions you'd like me to answer? You can reach me through the contact link at rvpodcast.com. I love hearing from you.

Unknown Speaker (35:25): Something that has really helped is most new RVs have a black tank flush insert where you can put a hose that shoots water in the black tank. And you have me do that about every other time, and it really does help. Everybody's gonna ask you what tank treatment do you use, and, honestly, you use I guess we we seldom use any because if you use enough water, you don't have an odor problem. Alright. Hey.

Unknown Speaker (35:50): It's time for the RV trip of the week in which we share a RV road trip that everybody needs to do. And this week's trip of the week is one that drivers really love to do. Remind you why you fell in love with RV travel in the first place. There's no traffic lights in this road. There's no billboards, no rush, no big trucks, no commercial vehicles, just you, the road, and a whole lot of history.

Unknown Speaker (36:19): We're talking about the Natchez Trace Parkway.

Speaker 1 (36:23): This is such a relaxing drive. It feels completely different from most road trips, almost like time slows down the minute you get on it.

Unknown Speaker (36:31): It really does. So the Trace runs about 440 miles from Nashville, Tennessee down to Natchez, Mississippi, follows a route that has been used for centuries. And here's what makes it special for RVers. It's designed for slow travel. The speed limit is low.

Unknown Speaker (36:49): Like I said, no commercial traffic, lots of scenic pull offs.

Speaker 1 (36:54): And it's an easy drive. No white knuckled moments. Just smooth, scenic cruising.

Unknown Speaker (37:00): Now before we get into the practical stuff, this is one of those roads where the story really matters.

Speaker 1 (37:06): You feel that history out there. It's quiet, but it's not empty.

Unknown Speaker (37:10): Exactly. And it's one of those places where the past feels close.

Speaker 1 (37:15): Now if you're thinking about doing this trip, we recommend starting in Nashville and heading south.

Unknown Speaker (37:20): Now just know that right now there's about an eight mile detour up near Nashville. They're doing work on that big bridge up there, and then that is expected to last into the 2027. Now the detour is no big deal. Just something that you should be aware of. And you can also do the route the other way.

Unknown Speaker (37:36): You can start down in Natchez and head north either way.

Speaker 1 (37:39): Either way works great. And for RVers, this is a very friendly drive.

Unknown Speaker (37:44): Big rig friendly all the way. And any worry that you shouldn't take an RV is clearly marked, so there are no surprises.

Speaker 1 (37:52): Camping is simple too. There are three free no hookup campgrounds right on the parkway and plenty of full hookup options just off it.

Unknown Speaker (38:01): Those sundocking campgrounds are really nice, and they have really nice bath houses as well. This is one of those trips where you don't need to rush. Drive a little, stop often, take it all in. And if you'd like a simple day by day plan that lays out the best stops, where to camp, how to break this into an easy seven day trip or less time if you want.

Speaker 1 (38:24): Now we've driven it both ways. It from Nashville to Natchez and the other way around, and we put that all that information into our traveler's guide prepared just for you.

Unknown Speaker (38:35): Now this is a digital guide. It's written as a seven day exploration of the Natchez Trace Parkway, but it's flexible enough. You could do it in a weekend, or you could take a slower journey and spread it out over multiple weeks if you want. There's all sorts of fun things to see all along the route right off the route and the little towns there. We break it into seven clear sections so you always know what to see next and where to stop.

Speaker 1 (39:00): Each day includes recommended mileposts, campground options, places to eat, and links to points of interest along the route. You'll also find helpful insights, reference links, and videos that add depth to each stop. You can find it at rvlifestyle.com/natcheztrace. And that is it for this week's trip of the week.

Unknown Speaker (39:21): We done a heavy listing for you on this one. Rvlifestyle.com/natcheztrace, and that's all one word, Natchez Trace, or look in the description below. So thank you guys so much. Time now for the RV question

Speaker 1 (39:35): of the week. Now the question is, we're relatively new to RVing, traveling in a new to us 2020 Winnebago Navion 24 d. How can I run my air conditioner without tripping breakers? Matt and Becky from California.

Unknown Speaker (39:53): We hear that all the time, especially as the weather starts heating up. And the short answer is

Unknown Speaker (39:59): Yes. You've to be a little smarter about it.

Unknown Speaker (40:02): You need to say you're on a 30 amp system there with that Navion, and a 30 amp RV gives you a limited amount of power. And the way I like to tell people about this is to think of it like a budget. Your air conditioner is gonna take a big chunk of that budget all by itself.

Speaker 1 (40:20): Which means you don't have a lot left over for other things at the same time.

Unknown Speaker (40:24): So if the AC is running and you turn on the microwave and maybe the coffee maker, maybe the hairdryer

Unknown Speaker (40:30): You're gonna hear that click and suddenly everything goes dark.

Unknown Speaker (40:34): That's your breaker saying, nope. Too much. You've or over budget.

Speaker 1 (40:38): The the trick is simple. Just don't run everything at once.

Unknown Speaker (40:43): Run the AC. And then when you need the microwave, turn the AC off for a couple minutes. Same with the coffee maker. Same for anything that heats up. Those are the big power grabbers.

Speaker 1 (40:54): It's really just a matter of being aware of what's on.

Unknown Speaker (40:56): And once you get used to it, it becomes second nature.

Unknown Speaker (40:59): You just learn your rhythm.

Unknown Speaker (41:01): Alright. So bottom line is, yes, you can absolutely stay cool on 30 amps. You just have to manage your power a little bit. You have a question you'd like us to tackle on the podcast? You can reach us through the contact link directly at rvpodcast.com.

Speaker 1 (41:17): Thank you so much for listening. If you enjoyed today's episode, we'd love it if you could take a moment to leave us a kind review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you're tuning in. Your feedback helps us grow and reach more listeners just like you.

Unknown Speaker (41:32): So that's it for this week. Happy trails.